Disclaimer- I do not own Death Note

Chapter 5

Ups and Downs

Noriko lay on her stomach, propped up on her elbow as she flipped absently through her history text book.

"You do know what this month is, right?" Noriko inquired nonchalantly.

"Yes, it's November," Light replied as he wrote in his notebook.

"Yes it is," Noriko said, she continued to flip blankly through her book.

Light sighed. "What are you getting at, Nori?"

"Hmmm, oh nothing," she replied as she looked up at him with a smile.

"You're a horrible liar. It's been six months I know and I already have something planned," Light said as he continued to his homework.

"Like what?"

"Curiosity killed the cat, Noriko."

"Yes, but satisfaction brought him back silly. So as long as I'm satisfied with your answer, you don't have to worry," she answered as she stood up and walked behind Light. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders as she lowered her face next to his. "So boyfriend, am I going to be satisfied," she breathed into his ear.

"That's distracting, Noriko," he replied with a shake of his brown haired head.

"I know," she said as she placed a quick kiss on his cheek before standing and going back to her book.

"You're a tease," he sighed as he put his pen down and turned to her.

"That wasn't teasing, it was distracting, you said so yourself. Besides it was fun."

"It's almost ten, do you want me to walk you home," he asked as he closed his notebook and stood up.

"Nah, I'll be fine," she answered as she began putting her things away.

She swung her bag over her right shoulder as Light walked over to open the door for her.

"So I'll see you tomorrow," she asked as they walked to his front door.

"Of course, it's Friday, so don't forget we have cram school."

"I know, I know. See you then."

"Hey," Light said sounding a bit offended as she hopped down his front steps.

"What?" Noriko asked as she turned to face him.

"Aren't you forgetting something?" he asked seriously.

She blinked up at him, before smirking and walking back up the steps.

"I don't think so, but why don't you remind me," she answered.

"You're such a tease, Nori," he replied as he knelt down and pressed his lips to hers in a warm kiss.

"Maybe," she said as she pulled away from him and began walking home.

Noriko walked home and frowned as she pushed the little wooden gate to her house open. There was loud music and drunken laughter floating out of the house and into the quiet night. She opened the front door and stepped inside. She hurried towards the stairs hoping no one would notice her.

"Look who's home. It's that worthless daughter of mine," she heard Izanami slur from behind her.

She sighed but continued her trek up the stairs.

"Ahh!!" she cried as she felt something slam her against the wall at the top of the stairs.

"You should pay attention when your mother's talking to you," a rough male voice said as she wrinkled her nose at the smell of alcohol on his breath.

"Why should I? You don't. Now get off me, Katsuo," Noriko replied angrily.

"Maybe if you ask nicely," he answered as he leaned forward bringing his face closer to hers.

She pressed her body into the wall and brought her left knee up into Katsuo's crotch.

"You stupid bitch," he hissed as he released her and backed up.

She stepped around him and tried to bolt for her room, but before she could fully pass him he grabbed the back of her shirt and yanked her back towards him. Her face contorted in pain as she tried to keep her balance but wound up falling on her ankle before forcibly crashing to the floor.

Katsuo's face loomed above hers with a mocking sneer. She tried her best to not show any emotion and keep her face impassive.

"I'll get you back for this, just wait," he sneered as he raised his right hand and forcefully slapped her across the cheek.

Noriko bit her lip to keep herself from crying out in pain. She refused to give him the satisfaction of seeing that he had hurt her.

She lay back on the carpeting her ankle throbbing and her cheek stinging. With a grunt, she forced herself up. She gingerly tried to put some of her weight on her right ankle which she had fallen on. She had to bite back the cry of pain that threatened to explode from her lips as her ankle protested against the pressure.

Putting as little pressure as possible on her injured foot she limped to her room. She shut and locked the door behind her. Leaning against the door she breathed a sigh of relief to be in her room and let herself slide down the door into a heap on her floor.

She brought her knees up to her chest and rested her head on her hands as she fought back the tears that threatened to pour from her eyes.

'I will not let him be the reason why I cry,' she thought angrily.

For a few minutes she just motionless in front of her door, head in her hands and hair covering her face.

Slowly, she lifted herself up off the floor. She tried putting weight on her right foot but it made her vision swim and she nearly fell over from the pain.

"Great," she muttered as she hobbled to her bed.

She raised the leg of her jeans to stare at her ankle that had already doubled in size and was beginning to turn black and blue.

"I don't think it's dislocated, but I'm not a doctor," she said as she gingerly touched her swollen ankle with a finger only to hiss as she felt red hot pain shoot up her leg.

"Well, I guess I'll leave it for now. I don't have a choice," she mumbled as she began undressing.

She grabbed a mirror she had on her desk and looked at her cheek that Katsuo's hand had left a bright red mark on.

'Just great,' she thought grumpily as she tossed aside the mirror and laid back in her bed.

"Ow, ow, ow," she whined when she awoke the following morning and tried to stand, only to fall back on to her bed with a disgruntled sigh.

She looked down at her ankle and cursed it for having to be so delicate.

'It's not like I fell all that hard,' she thought in a huff.

"This is bad. I can't walk on this ankle." she said sourly while she tried to think about what she was going to do.

'Guess I'm missing school today.'

Dressing took longer than she had expected as she hopped around her room on her good foot.

She grabbed her cell phone and punched a few numbers before raising it to her ear.

"Yes, hi, I need a cab please," she said when the phone was answered by a pleasant sounding woman.

She gave the woman her address and told her where she was going before hanging up. A moment later her phone rang.

"Light," she said as she read the caller I.D. "Sorry, but I'm not answering. You can yell later," she informed the phone.

"Let's see the cab should be here in five minutes, so I guess I should start hopping downstairs," she said to herself as she pushed her body up and began the hop to the front door and outside.

"Thank god," she mumbled when she reached the front of the house. "I didn't even fall."

A moment later the cab pulled up and she got in.

"You ok?" the cab driver asked. He was a short balding man with kind gray eyes.

"I am, thanks. I'm going to the clinic on the far side of town," she instructed.

He nodded, putting the car in gear and driving off.

Six hours later, she made her way carefully out of the clinic as she tried to balance herself on the crutches the doctor had given her to use while her ankle healed. It was wrapped in an ace bandage and a removable brace so she could remove it to shower and what not. He had also given her some pain killers for the pain.

She was glad to be out of the office. They had been asking too many questions, questions she didn't want to answer. It wasn't the first time that she had shown up at that specific clinic with an injury. They were doctors and trained medical professionals. She knew that sooner or later they would put two and two together and see through her lies. She just hoped that never happened, she didn't want to deal with police and questions and paperwork.

She checked her phone which she had turned off out of respect for the others at the clinic. There were two messages from Light, the first one he seemed worried, the second he seemed worried but more angry.

It was currently almost four in the afternoon. She had missed class and was now contemplating whether to go to cram school or not. She knew crutching her way there wasn't going to work, and she really didn't want to explain to Light why she was on crutches.

'No cram school it is,' she thought to herself.

With a sigh, she dialed a few numbers on her phone and arranged to have a cab pick her up and take her home.

An hour later the taxi turned on to her street but was halted from going any further by the three police cars in front of her house.

"Um, here is fine. I'll walk, well hobble, the rest of the way," she said as she hurriedly scrambled for the money she owed him and carefully got out of the vehicle.

Leaning on her crutches, she made her way towards her house but was stopped by a tall, thin, young police officer with black hair, blue eyes and a handsome face.

"Noriko Mori?" he inquired.

"Uh, yes," she answered cautiously.

"I need you to come with me please." he stated, turning towards a police car a few steps away.

She didn't move, just stared at his back, he turned around when he had opened the door to the back of his car.

"Why?" she asked.

He glanced at her bruised face then her bandaged leg.

"Ah, I see," she said with a frown.

"Sorry, Ms Mori, but we need you to answer some questions and unfortunately that means at the station. It's for your safety I assure you," the officer informed her.

"Ok, but you know my name, it only seems fair that I know yours before I get into the backseat of your car," she said with a small smile.

"Oh, sorry, I'm officer Yamanaka," he answered quickly.

"Nice to meet you officer Yamanaka," she replied as she crutched her way to the car.

He helped her in before shutting the door and climbing behind the wheel.

"I don't suppose Detective Yagami, knows about any of this?" she asked when the care pulled away from the house.

"I don't know ma'am."

Noriko frowned at the young man. "I'd rather you call me Noriko, ma'am makes me feel old."

The officer laughed at her. "Sorry it's a habit."

"Yeah well I don't like it," she replied stubbornly.

Her cell phone rang and she dug it out of her bag. She sighed when she saw it was Light.

"I have to ask that you refrain from any phone calls for the time being," officer Yamanaka said.

"Fine with me," she replied as she hit the ignore button on her phone and shoved it back in her purse.

"So someone from the clinic called I take it," Noriko asked, looking out the window when the car pulled into the parking area for the large building that held the police force.

"I'm not sure, it sounds that way though," the officer replied. He stepped out of the car and opened the door for her, holding her crutches while she tried to get out of the car.

"Whoa," she groaned, putting a hand to her, suddenly feeling extremely dizzy and nauseous.

"Are you alright, ma-"

Noriko shot the officer a glare.

"Uh, Noriko?"

"I think the pain killers the doc gave me are kicking in. Sorry," she said slightly embarrassed.

The officer smiled before walking back to her he grabbed her crutches and set them aside as he picked her up bridal style.

"Um, I don't think this is necessary officer Yamanaka," Noriko replied, reaching for her crutches.

"Call me Takehiko," the officer replied with a smile as he carried her into the building.

She was blushing profusely as people looked at her holding her crutches as Takehiko carried her through the building. They had to take the elevator to the third floor which was where some of the interrogation rooms were.

The doors slowly slid open to reveal a clean, bright hallway with many doors and other hallways leading to various offices or meeting rooms. As Takehiko stepped out of the elevator he turned to the right and began to walk down the hallway. There were two figures in the distance that she thought looked very familiar.

"I don't suppose we could go the other way could we?" she questioned innocently.

"Sorry," he answered with a rueful smile.

"Noriko," one of the figures called worriedly.

"Hi, Mr Yagami, how are you," she asked the frowning detective happily.

He eyed Noriko and the now somewhat red officer Yamanaka.

"Put her down in there," Mr Yagami ordered pointing to the room they were standing in front of.

"Hi, Matsuda," Noriko said cheerily as she was set down in a chair and her crutches were placed against the wall.

"Hi, Noriko," Matsuda replied with a hearty smile while scratching the back of his head.

"Thank you Takehiko," she called after the handsome officer when he began to retreat from the room.

"You're welcome, Noriko," he replied with a slight blush before practically running out of the room as he caught the glares he was getting from the two other men.

Mr Yagami sighed before taking a seat across from the table Noriko was seated at. The room was cold and gray, the table and chairs were metal, and there was a two way window behind Noriko.

"Noriko, what happened?" Mr Yagami asked.

"Nothing," she said with a shrug.

"You missed class, you're on crutches and you have a swollen and bruised cheek. That doesn't seem like nothing," Mr Yagami replied.

"Uh, would you believe me if I said I ran into a wall... again," she asked as she sat up straight in the metal chair.

"Noriko," Mr Yagami said in a tone that meant business.

"Ok, ok. So I went home there was a party downstairs. Loud music, lots of drunken idiots. I headed straight upstairs, but Izanami started talking trash behind me. I ignored her but Katsuo must have been coming out of the bedroom or something because I never saw him before I was stuck between him and the wall. He wouldn't let me go so I kneed him, I made a break for my room but he grabbed my shirt and slapped me, saying he'd get me back. When he grabbed me I fell and twisted my ankle. Actually I sprained it that's what the doctor said, he gave me painkillers," Noriko retold the events of the night before as if she was breaking down a shopping list, she finished with a big smile.

"I see," Mr Yagami replied with raised eyebrows.

"So Matsuda, how have you been?" Noriko asked the detective who had been silent.

"Uh, me, well, I've been good," he replied.

"Noriko don't change the subject."

"Sorry Mr Yagami," she replied as she bowed her head slightly.

"Light's been worried about you, you should call him. There will be another officer in in a few minutes," Mr Yagami said as he stood.

"What's going to happen," Noriko asked him seriously.

"I don't know. It depends. Katsuo has already been detained as has your mother. She'll probably be released since she didn't cause your injuries."

"You know that this will make things more complicated for me right?" she asked.

Mr Yagami sighed, "I know, but you need to do what's right Noriko."

"You mean press charges?"

"Yes."

"My mother would have me thrown out, and I have no where to go," she replied quietly.

"You will always have a place to go. It's time you took a stand and he was punished for what he's done to you now and in the past."

Noriko winced at his tone when he had said the last sentence.

"You knew?" she asked looking away from him to stare at the gray wall.

"It wasn't difficult to tell. That and Light had told me, but there was nothing I could do unless you actually said something. I need to go, call Light while you wait, it might be a little while."

She nodded her head as he left the room followed by Matsuda.

Her cell phone was in her purse by her crutches she scooted her chair over and grabbed her purse and phone.

She sighed as she flipped the phone open and called Light. He answered on the first ring.

"Noriko, where the hell have you been? My dad called and said something about you being picked up to go to the police station. What happened?"

"Light, I can't answer if you keep yelling at me," she interrupted.

"Fine, where are you?"

"The police station," she replied easily.

"Noriko, what happened?"

"Katsuo."

Light sighed, "Nori, you miss school, you don't answer your phone, there were cop cars outside of your house, and you're at the police station, and you won't give me a straight answer."

The door to the room she was in creaked open and a uniformed officer stepped inside followed by a woman in in business attire.

"I'm sorry Light, but I have to go. Get my assignment from cram school, please?"

"Yeah, fine, but you owe me an explanation later."

"I know. Bye."

"Hello Ms Mori, I'm officer Nami and this is Ms Yuko Furakawa." the uniformed man said.

"Hello," Noriko replied.

"I suppose you want to get this over with so let's get started shall we?" Officer Nami asked cordially.

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